Depending on the interest he draws as a free agent this winter, one option might be "a beer league somewhere," Damon said with a grin, though the Yankees would be his first choice.

"I'd sure love to take advantage of that right field porch," Damon said. "I would love to be able to say I'd be back, and [New York] would definitely be the best place for me."

In the fourth and final year of his $52 million Yankee contract, Damon hasn't just exceeded on-field expectations at age 35. He's gone about his work as if he won't be back, that the time to make an impact ? and leave a pinstriped impression ? is now or never.

"I understand the free agent game [but] I can't concern myself with that," Damon said. "I do have to go out ? and pretend like it could be my last chance to get to the playoffs and possibly make a World Series run."

A Damon friend said his focus on Baseball and family life never has been more acute. Damon enjoyed the rock star trappings in Boston, and even spent time living in Manhattan as a Yankee before settling in Bergen County.

Off-days, such as Monday, often mean getaways home to Florida, with his wife, their young children, and the barbecue grill going.

Of course, it's another blessing for Damon to be healthy ? and hitting.

With an RBI triple Wednesday night against the Blue Jays, Damon extended his streak to nine consecutive games with an extra-base hit. Entering the night, he was batting .320, and leading the club with nine home runs and 25 RBI ? mostly out of the No. 2 spot.

Leadoff man Derek Jeter's on-base percentage of .347 has been less than Damon's .391, but there's no indication Girardi would switch things around when Jeter (sore oblique) returns to the lineup, possibly on Friday.

"He's come up with so many big hits for us," Girardi said of Damon, named last week's AL Player of the Week, the second time he's won the award in his career. "He's been a huge part of our offense ? he's probably given us a little more than we expected."

Even if Damon finishes with his best Yankee season, the winter will be a different story. Damon, Hideki Matsui and Xavier Nady represent $32.55 million coming off the books, and there's an A-list of potential free agent outfielders in Jason Bay, Rick Ankiel, Matt Holliday and Vlad Guerrero.

Plus, the Yankees soon might be faced with the dilemma of where to shift Derek Jeter, and left field seems the only reasonable answer.

Damon recalled how "it took everybody by surprise" when he left his beloved fans in Boston for the Bronx after the 2005 season. Now, "I don't think it would be too much of a surprise if they decided to not bring me back," Damon said.

Damon said he's motivated to play another four seasons ? through age 39 ? and mentioned certain personal milestones.

This season, "I'm sort of happy where I'm at," Damon said. "But I definitely wish the team could've benefited a little more."